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Democracy and AI

Understanding the promises and perils that AI holds for the future of our democracy

Related Programs

Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation, Allen Lab: Technology & Democracy, Nonviolent Action Lab, Reimagining Democracy Program

The proliferation of artificial intelligence has the potential to upend our democracy — for better or worse.

AI tools could allow for new forms of participation while at the same time facilitating the spread of misinformation. As regulators and policymakers struggle to understand the implications of this new technology, Ash Center experts are answering questions about how best to govern AI and not just reactively respond to the many issues that continue to arise.

Can AI be a force for good in our democracy? How do we prevent it from becoming a tool for those who wish to undermine our institutions and trust?

Explore our latest events, research, and writing below.

Meet the Experts

Danielle Allen
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Danielle Allen

Professor of Public Policy, James Bryant Conant University Professor

Archon Fung
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Archon Fung

Director, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation;
Winthrop Laflin McCormack Professor of Citizenship and Self-Government

James Waldo
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James Waldo

Professor of the Practice of Public Policy, HKS;
Gordon McKay Professor of the Practice of Computer Science, SEAS

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To Fix Tech, Democracy Needs to Grow Up
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Commentary

To Fix Tech, Democracy Needs to Grow Up

There isn’t much we can agree on these days. But two sweeping statements that might garner broad support are “We need to fix technology” and “We need to fix democracy.”

Bridging-Based Ranking
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Policy Brief

Bridging-Based Ranking

This report explores the potential of bridging and discusses some of the most common objections, addressing questions around legitimacy and practicality.

How AI Fails Us
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Policy Brief

How AI Fails Us

Researchers and funders should redirect focus from centralized autonomous general intelligence to a plurality of established and emerging approaches that extend cooperative and augmentative traditions as seen in successes such as Taiwan’s digital democracy project to collective intelligence platforms like Wikipedia.